A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE CAUCASIAN PEOPLE WHO BELONG TO THE KIPCHAKS

Abstract

As a bridge between Asia and Europe, the Caucasus has become a region where Turks come and settle before and after the millennium. The Turkish flows have been known for ages but began to condense after the 5th century A.D. Historical records have been reporting the presence of Turks here since ancient times. Moreover, Azerbaijan, Karapapapak, Karachay, Balkar, Kumuk, Nogay, Ahiska Turks (Meskhetian Turks), etc. known as "otokton" i.e "locals" in the Caucasus are the descendants of Scythian, Hun, Bulgaria, Hazar, and Kipchak tribes, who have settled in the Caucasus down through the ages. It is a well-known fact that the Caucasus is a "cosmopolitan" region, as it is a very convenient place for the settlement and shelter of many states and nations. Today, ethnic groups share a common culture but speak different languages called “The Caucasus People”. It is possible to encounter signs of the Turkish tribes as Hun, Avar, Khazar, Pecheneg, Kipchak, Uz, Seljuks, and Ottomans there. It is commonly known that around thirty ethnicities and nations of Turkish origin live in the Caucasus today. The study provides brief information on the Caucasus peoples belonging to the Kipchaks. It is known that the Kipchaks have spread to a wide range of areas, mainly from the Caucasus to India, Egypt, Byzantine, Hungary, and Romania, and have carried out important activities there. In this regard, there is a significant role of Kipchaks in the ethnic-civilization and cultural construction of both Turkish and non-Turkish nations.